Clyde Butcher Talks About His Journey to Massive Black-and-White Photography

PetaPixel

Photographer Clyde Butcher shoots big photos, and we mean big. He develops large format black-and-white prints that range in size from your standard 8″x10″ all the way up to 5×8… feet! This phenomenal photographer’s journey and the type of photography he’s become famous for are an inspiration to the people out there who want to see the extent to which the medium can be pushed.

We won’t go into too much detail (that’s what the video is for) but in order to create his massive photography he had to make specialty equipment and spend $6,000 on a light source for a “free” camera; he even flooded his dark room once while building the massive vertical washer he now uses. But the pictures he takes will, in the words of many who have seen them, “change your life.”

When you stand in front of one of his incredibly detailed black-and-white prints, you actually feel like you’ve stepped into wherever he’s chosen to take you — and that’s the point. His work is often used to further environmental causes as part of exhibits that take people who “don’t wanna get wet” right into the middle of the Florida wilderness.

Admittedly, the video may be a bit slow for some people’s tastes, but it’s just the mark of a man who’s used to taking his time when it comes to the art of photography. The information and inspiration contained within it make it well worth the twelve and a half minutes.

You can find more info on Mr. Butcher and his amazing large-scale photography over on his website.